[f. FLAT a. + -EN5.]
† 1. trans. To lay flat on the ground. Obs. rare.
1712. J. Mortimer, Husb., II. xii. If they [sheep] should lie in it [flax], and beat it down or flatten it, it will rise again the next Rain.
2. Naut. To flatten in (a sail): to extend it more nearly fore-and-aft of the vessel. Also absol. (Cf. FLAT v.2 2.)
1839. Marryat, Phantom Ship, I. x. 216. Hard a-port! flatten in forward! brail up the trysail, my men! Be smart!
1856. R. H. Dana, Seamen’s Friend, 51. If after getting head to the wind she comes to a stand and begins to fall off before you have hauled your mainyard, flatten in your jibsheets, board foretack, and haul aft foresheet; also ease off spankersheet, or brail up the spanker, if necessary.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Flatten in, To. The action of hauling in the aftmost clue of a sail to give it greater power of turning the vessel … hence flatten in forward is the order to haul in the jib and foretopmast-staysail-sheets towards the middle of the ship, and haul forward the fore-bowline.
3. = FLAT v.2 3. a and b.
a. 1630. Donne, Progr. Soule, xiv. Poems (1654), 298.
| They throng, and cleave up, and a passage cleare, | |
| As if for that time their round bodies flatned were. |
1716. Monro, Anat., II. 201. The two [superior of these four superior dorsal Vertebræ] … are flatned by the Action of the Musculi longi colli.
1755. Johnson, Flatten, to make even or level, without prominence or elevation.
1762. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1765), I. iv. 98. Torreggiano being jealous of the superior honours paid to Michael Angelo, whose nose was flattened by the blow.
1802. Paley, Nat. Theol., iii. Wks. 1825, III. 20. The ordinary shape of the fish’s eye being in a much higher degree convex than that of land animals, a corresponding difference attends its muscular conformation, viz. that is throughout calculated for flattening the eye.
1883. Hardwick’s Photogr. Chem. (ed. Taylor), 214. A longer exposure in the camera … invariably flattens the picture, destroying its rotundity and stereoscopic effect.
b. 1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Coining, The bars or plates … are passed several times through a mill, to flatten them further.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., I. 353. The air is observed at Moscow to be loaded with beautiful crystallizations regularly flattened, and as thin as a leaf of paper.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Europe, ii. § 1. 78. We were frequently flattened out against the rocks, like beasts of ill repute nailed to a barn, with fingers and toes inserted into four different cracks which tested the elasticity of our frames to the uttermost.
fig. 1884. St. Leger Herbert, Our Colonial Policy, in Fortn. Rev., Feb., 242. Freedom was the great thing—freedom for the individual, freedom for the colony. This was a passion, an emotion; but reason, which could not be altogether set aside, came in and rather snubbed and flattened out the emotion.
1889. Barrère & Leland, Slang Dict., Flatten out, to (American), ‘I flattened him out,’ i.e., I had the best of him, of the argument.
4. intr. for refl. To become flat, or more flat; to lose convexity or protuberance; to grow broad at the expense of thickness. Also with out.
a. 1721. Keill, Maupertuis’ Diss. (1734), 51. The Spheroid that continually flattens as the Centrifugal Force increases.
1734. Watts, Reliquiæ Juveniles, 110. The broken Lines of an ancient Painting may be reunited and grow strong, the Features may rise round and elevated, and the Colours glow again with sprightly Youth; but our real Form grows cold and pale, it sinks, it flattens, it withers into Wrinkles; the Decay is resistless and perpetual, and Recovery lies beyond the Reach of Hope.
1816. Keatinge, Trav. (1817), II. 97. On approaching the coast, the surface of the country flattens, and approaches water-level.
1828. Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., I. 149. Posterior second antler forming a fork with the summits of the horn, which flattens and turns inwards and forwards, making a hook.
1884. H. James, A Little Tour of France, xvi. 109. As I proceeded it [the country] flattened out a good deal, so that for an hour there was a vast featureless plain, which offered me little entertainment beyond the general impression that I was approaching the Bay of Biscay (from which, in reality, I was yet far distant).
1885. L. Wingfield, Barbara Philpot, III. v. 132. A glittering doll in a shop-window causeth the noses of the bystanders to flatten.
1893. Westm. Gaz., 18 March, 8/1. The dip of the reef ‘flattens.’
b. Of the wind or a storm: To decrease in force. Cf. FLAT v.2 2 c.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. viii. 79. The storm at length flattening to a calm, we had an opportunity of getting down our main top-sail yard to put the Carpenters to work upon it, and of repairing our rigging.
1805. Naval Chron., XIII. 239. The Wind flattening, and being a Large Ship, she missed stays, and unfortunately before she could bring up, she sailed ashore, on the reef of rocks.
5. trans. To make ‘flat,’ vapid, or insipid. Also fig.
1631. Sanderson, Serm., II. 2. As if all use of Rhetorical ornaments did savour of an unsanctified spirit; or were the rank superfluities of a carnal Wit; or did adulterate, corrupt, and flatten the sincere milk of the Word.
1686. J. Goad, Astro-meteorologica, II. v. 221. The Celestial Bodies … do ferment or flatten the Air.
1755. Johnson, Flatten, to make vapid.
b. intr. to become insipid.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, clxi. 132. Satisfactions that are attended with Satiety and Surfeits, and Flatten in the very Tasting.
1702. The English Theophrastus, 254. Without some tincture of Urbanity, even in Matters the most serious, the good Humour flattens for want of Refreshment and Relief.
6. trans. To make dull, deprive of attraction, interest, or impressiveness; also to flatten down.
1693. W. Freke, Sel. Ess., xxxiv. 210. So in Reading, Can you think that when you gallop over a good Author, you do not flatten him, and lose half his Life and Substance?
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 204, 27 July, ¶ 5. It flattens the Narration, to say his Excellency in a Case which is common to all Men.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 162. Tho’ the Regicides were at that time odious beyond all expression, and the trials and executions of the first that suffered were run to by vast crouds, and all people seemed pleased with the sight, yet the odiousness of the crime grew at last to be so much flatten’d by the frequent executions.
1820. Lamb, Lett. (1888), II. 57. That I did not write to W. W. was simply that he was to come so soon, and that flattens letters.
1889. Spectator, 14 Dec., 840. When the pilgrims in ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ break out into verse, they more frequently than not flatten down what had been far more effectively and imaginatively said in prose.
† 7. To deprive of energy or ‘fire’; to depress. Also with away. Obs.
1683. R. Grove, Persuas. Communion, 22–3. When we have Scripture and Reason on our side, we cannot be Deceived; but when we Determine, as we are swayed by the present byass of our Passions; these may be Charmed, or Raised, or Flattened, by several sorts of Spirits; and quickly betray us into strong Delusions.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 47, 26 July, ¶ 3. He was sunk and flattened to the lowest Degree imaginable, sitting whole Hours over the Book of Martyrs, and Pilgrims Progress; his other Contemplations never rising higher than the Colour of his Urine, or Regularity of his Pulse.
1772. J. Adams, Diary, 23 Nov. Wks. 1850, II. 305. I find they [my old friends] are both cooled, both flattened away.
1796. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 362. So far from endeavouring to excite this spirit, nothing has been omitted to flatten and lower it.
b. To cause (a market) to become depressed.
1891. Daily News, 12 Nov., 2/1. These two influences sufficed to flatten all the markets.
8. To lower (a musical note) in pitch; also absol.
1824. Mirror, III. 105/2. What with strings snapping or likely to give—pinching them—flattening and sharpening and rosining bows, a considerable portion of the evening is generally consumed.
1825. Danneley, Encycl. Mus., To flatten, to lower a note one or two half tones.
1872. H. C. Banister, Music, 55. When a chord in which any natural note occurs is followed by a chord containing that same note sharpened or flattened, or vice versâ, that note so altered should appear in the same part; or a False relation between the parts is produced.
9. To paint (a surface) so that it shall have no gloss; to deprive (paint) of its lustre. Also absol.
1823. Crabb, Techn. Dict., To flatten (Paint.) in house-painting, is to give a newly painted wall such a coat of colour as takes off its glossy appearance.
1874. W. Crookes, Dyeing & Calico Print, vii. 517. The colouring matter may also be ‘flattened’ or deprived of its lustre by an ill-compounded mordant.
10. Tanning: see quot.
1875. Ure’s Dict. Arts, III. 95. In some cases, as in the calf-skin, it is skived and then shaved, or, as it is called, flattened at right angles to the skiving.
